4.2 Areas for Federal Policy Action

agencies identify vulnerable components of their network and implement adaptation measures, agencies will need to regularly evaluate the degree of success of these actions — based on appropriate performance measures — and monitor changing climate conditions as new data is received. This assessment will then inform future steps that are needed to ensure the viability of transportation services.

Intergovernmental Collaboration. Addressing adaptation requires knowl edge that crosses disciplines and policies that cross agency jurisdictions. Decisions about transportation infrastructure will reverberate throughout the adaptation planning community, and indeed may be among the most critical decisions made. Successful adaptation frameworks must require interagency and intergovernmental collaboration as an integral element of the planning and investment process.

“As transportation agencies identify vulnerable components of their network and implement adaptation measures, agencies will need to regularly evaluate the degree of success of these actions.”

Federal policies are needed in five general areas: 1) research; 2) transportation planning processes; 3) project development/NEPA; 4) design and engineering considerations; and 5) specific programs and funding. These recommendations are summarized below, and identified as short- or medium- to longer-term rec ommendations. Short-term recommendations are those that should be imple mented immediately and are the logical first steps in improving the resilience of our nation’s transportation system; specific policy mechanisms for doing so are discussed in